Updated 2026-11-15
An apprenticeship combines technical training with practical and workplace learning in a designated trade. Passing the national trade test and receiving a QCTO Trade Certificate is what makes you a qualified artisan. The exact entry route depends on the trade and qualification, so verify the requirements for your specific trade.
Never pay a person or recruiter for an apprenticeship or a job. Genuine recruitment is free.
Look for apprenticeship adverts from employers, public TVET colleges, SETAs and other official organisations. merSETA says employers advertise apprentices using their chosen media platform and applicants must follow the process in that advert. Entry rules, duration and learning requirements vary by trade.
merSETA publishes different school-entry rules for its Auto, Metal and Motor apprenticeship chambers. Do not assume that one trade's Grade or N-level requirement applies to another. Read the specific advert and ask the provider or employer which occupational qualification or listed trade you will follow.
| Check before applying | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The exact trade in the advert | Training and trade-test requirements are trade-specific. |
| Employer and workplace learning | An apprenticeship includes practical and workplace exposure. |
| Provider and assessment centre | Verify QCTO accreditation and the centre's trade scope. |
| Advert instructions and closing date | Use the employer's stated process. Do not treat old adverts as open. |
| Your results and documents | The employer or programme assesses whether you meet its entry requirements. |
merSETA describes a route of training-centre and employer training, workplace exposure, completion of relevant learning, then a trade-test application. This information is for merSETA sectors and is not the application system for every trade or SETA.
A trade test is the final integrated assessment for an artisan qualification in a listed trade. Apply to a QCTO-accredited trade test centre that is accredited for your particular trade. The Trade Test Regulations allow a person to apply at any nationally accredited centre with the relevant trade scope.
| Required with the application | What to do |
|---|---|
| NAMB-format application form | Get and complete it through the accredited trade test centre. |
| Proof of the entrance requirement | Ask the centre which requirement currently applies to your trade and route. |
| Proof of completed curriculum components | Keep training records and workplace-learning records or logbooks. |
| Proof of applicable medical or legal requirements | Confirm these with the centre for the trade you will test in. |
The regulations say that if an artisan programme or portfolio was completed three years before applying for the trade test, the applicant must first undergo a NAMB pre-trade-test evaluation at a QCTO-accredited centre. A person on a learning programme agreement is allowed three test attempts during that agreement period. The centre must issue a trade-test report within three working days after the test.
Do not rely on generic school-entry claims online. The regulations contain transitional education and work-experience provisions, while QCTO sets entrance requirements for listed trade qualifications. Ask the selected accredited centre to confirm the current route and documents for your exact trade before booking a test.
Use the DHET/NADSC Trade Test Centres search to filter centres by province, town and trade. Also use QCTO's databases of accredited assessment centres, which separate business and general qualifications, engineering qualifications and old trades.
QCTO says a learner who passes at an accredited centre must have documents sent onward through the certification system. Direct certificate queries to the centre where you tested rather than applying directly to QCTO.
Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning, known as ARPL, is for people whose relevant skills were gained outside a formal artisan route or through prior work. It is not an automatic trade certificate. DHET/NADSC says a prospective candidate applies at an accredited trade test centre that is accredited for the relevant trade, where the candidate is assessed against ARPL criteria.
If you meet the criteria, the centre assists with a portfolio of evidence. DHET/NADSC says it should include a CV, certified proof of qualifications, current and previous employment, trade-related duties and, where available, photographs. A self-employed candidate should provide trade-related evidence and affidavits from clients and a community leader.
The Trade Test Regulations allow an applicant who completed RPL to submit a NAMB-approved portfolio of evidence in place of the usual proofs of entrance requirements, curriculum completion and applicable medical or legal compliance. Take your records to the centre and ask it to assess your eligibility. Do not use an agent promising an artisan certificate without the required process and trade test.
QCTO says you are recognised as an artisan after passing a trade test and being issued a Trade Certificate. Completing training alone is not the same as holding the Trade Certificate.
You can apply at any nationally accredited trade test centre, but it must be QCTO-accredited for your specific listed trade. Check the DHET/NADSC and QCTO databases, then confirm scope directly with the centre.
It may support an ARPL route. Apply at an accredited centre for the relevant trade. The centre assesses you against ARPL criteria and, if eligible, assists with a portfolio of evidence. You must still follow the approved process and pass the trade test.
Apply to the employer or organisation advertising it and follow the advert's instructions. merSETA says employers advertise apprentices through media platforms of their choice. Check the trade, requirements, documents and closing date in each advert.
No. Never pay anyone for a job or apprenticeship. A trade test can have a centre charge, which regulations require the accredited centre to disclose in its signed test notice. That is different from paying a recruiter for work.